A Valentine Story
by suallenparker
Summary: Cuddy is sleeping in House's bed while he gets visits from three spirits... Free after Charles Dickens. Huddy, what else?
1. Wilson's ghost

**A Valentine-Story**

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Spoiler: 'a christmas carol' by Charles Dickens

Raiting: T

Summary: Three ghosts visit House while Cuddy is sleeping in his bed.

Feedback: Reviews will bring you luck for your love-life. ;D

Note: Hi there!- I´m still without beta, so this might be a little rough english, I apologize once more.

* * *

"_Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead. But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change." C. Dickens_

* * *

**Prolog**

New Year's Eve 2007/08; short before midnight.

"What´s your New Year's resolution this year, Dr. House?" She pulled her coat closer around her body as she stepped out on the hospital-roof. She´d knew, she would find him here. He always hided on the roof, when he, like today, had been forced to go to a fundraiser.

"Pay less money for more hookers." House turned around half and lifted a brow.

"Could be troublesome... The inflation next year will be immense." Cuddy stayed serious.

He just grinned.

"Wanna know my New Year's resolution, House?"

"Let me guess: Earn more money for screwing less suitors?"

"Funny." She hit his arm but smiled. "I resolve to dare more this year..."

"A threesome, maybe?" he watched her interested

"House!" Cuddy hit him again, but let her hand linger on his arm. "Funny, really funny.- That leads me straight to my second resolution this year..." she placed her second hand on his neck and stood on her toes, so they were nearly face to face. Under her hands felt how his muscles got tense. She licked her full lips with amusement. House watched her closely.

"What would that be?" he tried hard to take his eyes off her mouth.

"An effective way to shut you up." she mumbled, before she pulled him down to herself and kissed him.

* * *

**Stave 1: Wilson´s ghost**

13.02.08; 11 o´clock at the evening

House laid on his side in his bed, facing him laid Lisa Cuddy and slept. She was naked like him and one of her curls tickled her nose, so she twitched it like Nicole Kidman in 'Bewitched'. Cute. House smiled and tucked the strain behind her ear. She looked so different, while she was sleeping. So soft and less stubborn. He liked that. But he also liked her awake. So damn stubborn... He waved his head and smiled. His hand played gently with her brown dark curls. Maybe she would wake up from it and then they could fight a bit because he woke her up and he never ac carefully with anybody at all... He smirked... And afterwards he could make sweet slow lov-

"Fuck!" as if he burned himself he pulled his hand away. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." House cursed. As fast as he could with his right leg he stood up, left his bed-room and hobbled into his Kitchen. To his relief seemed still fast asleep. The last thing he wanted was to talk with her about the reasons that made him leave his bedroom cursing in the middle of the night. He didn´t even want to think about it all by himself let alone talk about it... Love Cuddy.- He had considered himself smarter. What they had was sex. Not only sex.- No, they had fantastic sex indeed! And he wouldn´t ruin it with stupid feelings...

Grumpy he took a coffee-cup out of his cupboard in doing so another cup fell out and hit his shoulder before it smashed on the floor.

"Great!" House placed his cup on the counter and hobbled, watching his steps because of the splints, to get a broom. As he turned around he froze in motion. In front of him sat Wilson in a red night grown, a red silly hat and a closed book on his lap on the kitchen-counter.

"Oh! But he was a big-headed stubborn jerk, House. A nasty, cynical, grasping, mean,

grumpy, cowardly, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster..." Wilson smirked and luffed his legs.

"I´m hallucinating... That cup must´ve hit me harder than i´d realized." House said matter-of-factly.

Wilson rolled his eyes. "The cup hit your shoulder, House. Not your head.- I´m a ghost!"

"You´re an idiot!" House growled. "You look like Papa Smurf, who lost his blue color."

"Tut tut, Gargamel." Wilson mocked. "How are you talking to your good ghost?"

"I apologize." House tried to look serious. "Really, I´m so so sorry! But you still gonna give me my pumpkin-carriage, right?"

"House, I said: 'good ghost' not 'good fairy'." Wilson waved his head and drummed his fingers on the backside of his book, which laid still unopened on his lap.

"Whatever" House rolled his eyes unnerved

"You´re right. We have better to do." Wilson grinned. "Or rather, you have better to do... I have a message for you. " with this he opened his book cleared his throat and started reading: "How it is that I appear before you in a shape that you can see, I may not tell. I have sat invisible- Wait a minute, that doesn´t fit." Wilson skimmed through the pages of his book. "Here it is!"

"Thank god!" House cut in sharply.

Wilson glared at him, cleared his throat and read along. "You will be haunted by Three Spirits. Expect the first to-morrow, when the bell tolls One..." Wilson looked up. "Or when your alarm-clock turns to one o´clock."

"Proper advice, really helpful." House sniffed.

Wilson ignored him. "Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next night when the last stroke of Twelve has ceased to vibrate.-Well." Wilson watched House again. "I´m a bit late, so we cut the whole thing. All three spirits in one night. Expect one spirit every hour this evening."

"I´m grateful..." House wiggled his brows. "And now get lost before..."

Before House could finish his sentence the ghost-Wilson faded away slowly while he was smiling like the cheshire cat. Shaking his head House stood alone in his kitchen. Right after cleaning up he would swallow two Vicodin and would read a medical article...

"Greg?"

House flinched. Sleepy and wearing just an old shirt, Cuddy stood in the kitchen-door and looked at him in question.

"Why are you out of bed? Is it your le- damn!" Cuddy cursed and jumped on one leg. She had stepped into a splint, while she had went near him.

"Stop jumping around!" House ordered her crudely let go of the broom and made his way through the splinters to Cuddy, who was still cursing but stood now on one feet. With one hand she supported herself on the counter to hold her balance.

"Here are splints everywhere." he glared at her, while he laid his hands on her hips.

"No kidding, mr super- Hey!" With one smooth move he lifted her up onto the counter.

"Are you crazy?" Cuddy hissed and glared at him.

House thought about his meeting with Wilson. "Eventually." he grumbled. "Stay put. I´ll get a med-kit... You´re bleeding all over my kitchen." With that he turned around and hobbled carefully out of the room. He hated blood. Well, not really. He was a doctor, damn it. But he hated seeing Cuddy hurt. He just couldn´t stand it. After two minutes he returned with the med-kit. While he was treating Cuddys wound carefully he didn´t said one single word. After he finished, he cleaned the kitchen-floor. Cuddy watched him in silence.

* * *

Ok, this was the first part out of five I´d already posted in german. The next part will be called 'the first of the three spirits' and would be the ghost of Stacy as the spirit of the past love.

I haven´t translated it yet, but will do so, if you´re interested into it further. So if you want more, tell me.


	2. The first of the three spirits

Hi there, sorry, that it took me so long to update, but I waited nearly two weeks for my beta but she´s really busy right now and still hasn´t finish beta-ing it... so I post this chapter still without beta... If she finished beta-ing it, I´ll repost it... Till then, I hope you like that version as well.

* * *

**Stave 2: The first of the three spirits**

14.02.08; 01 o´clock in the morning

"Greg!" a familiar female voice whispered. "Greg, wake up!" She hummed quietly.

House growled and pressed his eyes together, trying to ignore the disturbance. The voice became louder: "Gregory House, wake up now!" He didn´t move. Suddenly someone pulled on his hair strongly.

"Ouch!" cursing House sat up. "What are you trying to do here, Cuddy? If you truly believe something like that could convince me to screw you once more, you´re more crazier than I..." He didn´t finish his sentence. Uncomprehending and still sleepy he looked at his peacefully sleeping boss right next to him. Behind him somebody cleared her throat.

"Stacy?" flabbergasted House starred at his ex girlfriend.

She stood aside his bed, wearing a bright red costume, hands placed in her hips and smirked at him.

"Don´t you think it´s really crude to sleep if you´re awaiting visitors?" disparagingly she clicked her tongue.

"And don´t you think it´s really crude to just break into my bedroom while I´m in bed with another woman?" House hissed quietly and made a slight gesture with his head to Cuddy.

Stacy only laughed.

"Be quiet, dammit!" House scolded between closed teeth while he stood up carefully and grabbed his jeans, which laid next to his bed on the floor. "Or you´ll wake Cuddy..."

"Oh, now you´re shy?" Stacy smiled in amusement. "Don´t be afraid, she can´t hear me... I´m a spirit."

"Sure!" he glared at her and fled from a woman already for the second time this day out of his bedroom with only his jeans on. In his living-room he caught his cane and limped to his couch. Behind a pillow he found a totally crumpled old shirt, which he pulled over before Stacy entered the room too. But instead to go through the door she just floated through the wall. Close before him she stopped. House was totally sure now that that cup had hit his head... Or maybe Wilson had played with his Vicodin...

"We must go now, Greg" Stacy cut into his thoughts.

"Sure!" He didn´t move.

"I´m serious, Greg. I´m the spirit of the past-"

"Christmas. Got it. But don´t you think it´s a bit to early for that? Why don´t you make a new date for december with me?- Just ask Cameron..." he replied cynically.

Stacy rolled her eyes. "Not Christmas, stupid!" deprecatory she waved her head. "Today it´s Valentine´s day. I am the spirit of the past love and we´re already late!" she grabbed his arm.

"Whatever... But if you´re truly believe that I would follow a mad woman in the middle of the night to-" ungently his ass hit hard concrete.

"What the hell...?" he sat on the middle of a street near his old university. It was bright day and the street was busy. People everywhere who were walking fussy and cars... House only had time to curse and cross his arms in front of his face as one car hit him- and plainly drove right through him. Wilson must have given him real good drugs. Cursing he stood up and grabbed his cane which Stacy offered him grinning.

"You should have stand up as I asked you to!" Stacy defended herself without sympathy as house glared at her.

"But you hadn´t asked me to!" House snapped at her and glared some more.

Stacy didn´t answer, only turned around and walked round the next corner into a side street. She stopped in front of a small cafe cater-cornered to a fruit and veg stall and sat down at a bank. House followed her angrily.

First now he noticed the old fashioned clothes the people around him wore. And then as he arrived at Stacy´s bank he saw himself. Young, with fresh shaved face wearing a Michigan-shirt and an old jeans. And with two healthy legs.

"Why are we here?" he sat down next to Stacy.

Stacy ignored him instead she gestured at the young Greg.

Next to him a bicycle-rider drove over, which seemed hurried. So hurried that he missed the little six years old girl, who was standing a few steps away from her Mother hand the young House and so he nearly crashed the little girl. She jumped backwards frightened, stumbled and fell whereby she hurt her left hand. Crying she ran to her mother. The bicycle-rider not even looked back.

"You should make a wheel-tube out of your brain-then the air within would be useful!" the young House shouted after him and bent down to the little girl.

"Don´t be scared, I´m nearly a doctor." he said to her. "Show me your hand."

One arm hooked around her mothers legs she trust out her hand shyly. Greg smiled encouraging. "It's not as bad as all that." he turned her hand carefully from one side to the other.

House sighed loudly. "Are you telling me now, why we´re here?" he faced Stacy unnerved.

"Do you remember that day?"

"No." he waved his head.

"But she remembers it." she smiled and gestured with one hand to a spot behind House.

As he turned his head aside, he saw a quite young Cuddy who was watching his younger self treating that girl.

Suddenly everything moved frantic fast. People blurred before his eyes, it became night and day again then the time slowed down to usual. In that small cafe he saw now himself sitting on a table with a younger happily looking Stacy, both were drinking coffee. On the table next to him: Cuddy. She wore a pink dress and big sunglasses. She laughed as one of the two guys she was with said something. He remembered. That day was the first day he saw Cuddy.

* * *

In the blink of an eye his surrounding changed once more. He was facing now cold white walls and even the bank he sat on felt different. Confused he looked around. Stacy and him were in the Princeton-Plainsboro-hospital and sat in a vacant floor on two visiting-chairs. As he wanted to ask Stacy, what they wanted here he saw himself through a door lying in a clinic bed in a room. A bit younger Stacy sat next to his bed. His leg...

"Are we here to watch the beginning of the end of our relation-ship or is this just for fun?" stalwart he starred at the scene in front of him. His younger self seemed asleep while Stacy was holding his hand. In the floor near the door stood Cuddy watching the scene as well.

"Why did you break up with me?"

He lifted his brow cynically and faced Stacy. "You left me, if you have forgotten that little detail."

Stacy nodded and replied calmly: "Yes, but it was over long before I left."

He kept silent. The scene around him changed again. Now he sat on a cushioned chair at a corner table in a huge hall. The room was full of men in suits and ladies in expensive dresses. On a big banner which was stretched through the whole room stood in black letters:'The children of the cancer-station are grateful for your help'. Near two years Cuddy had forced him to show up here together with Wilson.

House beheld his younger self at the bar, some whisky in one hand his cane in the other... Some minutes he watched impassive.

"Once again." Stacy said after a short while.

"Excuse me?" he asked confused.

"You haven´t noticed it so we must start at the beginning once more!"she rebuked him.

The people around him started to move backwards, stopped then and behaved normal again.

"Now try harder!" she ordered him crudely.

"And what should I notice?" he demanded to know unnerved. "Nothing is happening!"

Stacy rolled her eyes. "You´re pretty slow for a genius.-Now!" she grabbed his arm. He looked in the same direction as Stacy. Cuddy was just entering the huge hall.

"Cuddy in a dress even a hooker would be ashamed of. So?" he wasn´t impressed at all.

Stacy ignored him just gestured with one hand at the House at the bar.

"What about me? I havn´t even moved!"

"Like I said!" Stacy triumphed.

House pulled a face. "You say that _'nothing'_ had happened? Wow, really weird that I missed that fact... You´re right, I am pretty slow for a genius..."

"Right." she grinned. "Like you stand there, you´re weren´t able to see her and you didn´t turned around as you said!" she grinned some more. "So wherefrom did you knew she came in?"

"I knew what?"

"Your body gave you away, Greg. Every muscle of your whole body grew tense right after Cuddy made her first step into the hall."

"I didn´t know-"

"Greg!" warned Stacy. "Don´t lie to me!"

House snorted unbelievingly. "What do you wanna hear?" he asked testy. "That I always know when I´m near her because we have a spiritual bound? Something like that?" his voice was drowned in sarcasm.

Stacy nodded relaxed. "And now tell me why you broke up with me."

He looked on the floor. "You know the reason."

"Yes, but I wanna hear it from you."

He concentrated on the wood grain of the parquet floor. "Course you were so unhappy."

"Bullshit!"

The structure of the floor turned. He felt cold tiling under his feet. Due to the high humidity he knew he must be in one of the bathrooms of the hospital. He still refused to look up.

"It´s a good thing you failed to become a mom because you suck at it!"

His own voice sounded strange to his ears. Cuddy sobbed quietly.

Then silence surrounded him once more and he sat on his couch in his living-room next to Stacy.

"Tell me why you broke off." she dared him. "Tell me why you sent me back to Mark last year. Say it!"

He bit his lower lip.

"Fine, then I will do it." she sounded angry. "You broke up with me for the same reason you screamed at Cuddy-"

"Because of my leg, satisfied?" he cut in furious. "Because I´m a cripple. Because I´m in pain and because I was a heartless bastard my whole life. Got enough?" They starred at each other for a few seconds

"You love her." she was totally calm again. He wanted to object but she closed his mouth with her hand. "You do, Greg. Don´t even try to deny it. That´s why you broke up with me. Not only why I was unhappy. No, also because you couldn´t stop thinking bout her. And that´s why you screamed at her, Greg. That was about her pain, not about yours." she stressed every single word. "And. Her. Pain. You. Cannot. Bear."

He wanted her to leave.

"Are you scared for her, Stacy?" he smiled evilly. "Worried bout your friend? Afraid that I could break her heart of stone?" his voice was cold as ice. "No need to, Stacy. She´s much smarter than you. She knows what a jerk I am."

Pitifully Stacy looked at him. "You dumb-ass!"

* * *

House woke up in his bed. Cuddy was still sleeping next to him and his clock turned to 01:59. Grumpy he stood up pulled his jeans on quietly and hobbled into his living-room.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that part... Next part will be with Cuddy as the spirit of the present love...

Please review (and tell me if you want it), cause reviewing makes my day!


	3. The second of the three spirits

There is part three!- Hope you´ll enjoy. Still without beta, sorry...

* * *

**Stave 3: The second of the three spirits**

14.02.08; 02 o´clock in the morning

In his living-room Cuddy already awaited him in a red dress sitting on his piano and gazing at him as he walked into the room. He blinked. Wasn´t Cuddy sleeping in his bed? To make sure he glanced at his bed. And there she was. Sleeping, her curls tousled, claiming the blanked all for her own and one leg laying on his side of the bed... He took his Vicodin out of his pocket and swallowed two pills.

"You look like you´ve seen a ghost." the Cuddy on his piano mentioned dryly.

"Funny." Grumpy he looked at her. "Really funny."

She grinned while he limped towards her.

"Let me guess, you´re the spirit of the present love." sarcastically he arched a brow.

"Yeah!" Cuddy grinned wider. "But you´re looking really wretched, Greg. Honestly."

"I would feel a lot better if you would get rid some of your clothes...", House suggested.

"Can imagine that."

"...and then we´ll wake up the other Cuddy... Nothing better than a threesome at two o´clock in the morning. And with two Cuddys! Will be like screwing twins..." he philosophized. "Although it would´ve been so hot to screw you and Cameron... Oh damn!" House cut into his own imagination and pulled a face. "Don´t tell me that Cameron is the spirit of the future love!"

Cuddy laughed and stood up. "We need to go!" she only said and grabbed his arm like Stacy did earlier as well.

* * *

"Your bedroom!"House declared. He stood in Cuddy´s bedroom next to her bed. On the bed, in the slight light of the raising sun, laid his self and Cuddy entwined around each other. It smelled of sex and by means of the clothes, which were scattered on the floor, he could guess that this was the first january of this year... His first night with Cuddy.

"Watching is so boring!" House nagged.

Cuddy ignored him. "You slept til eleven in the morning."

He gazed at his sleeping self. "Yes, so?"

"Are you always sleeping seven hours without a break?"

House didn´t answer, instead he watched the Cuddy on the bed opening her eyes slowly. She drew her head on her elbows to have a better look at the still sleeping House right next to her. With this slight change of her posture the blanked slipped of her shoulder. The yet still visible moon reflected himself in her eyes. '_Beautiful_' House thought and bit his tongue.

Cuddy smiled satisfied.

The atmosphere changed. The room lightened up and the plumeau cases looked different. Upon the bed laid a few clothes. Another Cuddy, only dressed in her underwear, stood alone in front of her mirror, putting some make-up on with one hand and talked into her cell-phone, which she was holding in her other.

"No, Mum." she just said. "I will not bring him with me to our next dinner!... Because Dad would scare him off!... Oh, yes, he would, Mom, as you damn well know..." she rolled her eyes impatiently and tried to put some lipstick on. "No, I´d meet him long time ago... Yes, he is handsome..." she rolled her eyes again. "Yes, Mom, he treats me good." she smiled slightly. "In fact, he´s gorgeous... He makes me feel strong, independent, but I somehow always know that I can depend on him if I need to... And he let me be myself..."

House frowned. "You date another guy? _Nice_. Does he know that you screw the bad boy of the Princeton-Plainsboro?" His voice was controlled and lacked of any emotions. There was no reason, why he should be jealous. He wasn´t jealous. He just wasn´t. Ok, she has something going on with another man. Something serious... So? With him she had sex. Absolutely fantastic meaningless sex. Just like he wanted it. That other bastard could have that boring other stuff with his full approval... All these silly Charity-dinners, ballets... that whole crap.- What was he like?- Totally irrelevant. Probably just some boring loser she met on a fundraiser. Like he said: Totally irrelevant.

His leg hurt.

The Cuddy of the spirits next to him glanced at him pitifully while the real one was still talking to her mother on the phone as she tried to choose one of the dresses, which were still laying on her bed.

"...Mom. Mom! Can we sort this out later please? He must arrive here in every minute... Yes, fine... See you on friday." She hung up. Just the moment she pulled her chosen dress over her head, the door opened and House came in. He was wearing old jeans, a crumpled shirt and an evil grin which even widened as Cuddy turned around in slight shock to face him.

"Can´t you just ring my bell for once?" she scolded.

"Come on. Where would be the fun therein?" he countered.

The other House grinned as well. He knew what would happen next. He remembered it clearly... Cuddy would yell at him some more and then he would kiss her, tell her how hot she looked in her dress and convince her afterwards to go with him to that Jazz-club, he liked so much... But the best of all was, as he suddenly realized, that some idiot would wait for Cuddy at her door while she was with him... He smirked gleefully.

The Cuddy of the spirits flapped the back of his head. "YOU are the idiot!"

"What for was that?" frustrated he rubbed his head. "Are you reading my mind now?"

Cuddy refused to answer him but glared instead.

* * *

Abruptly they found themselves in the hospital in one of the exam-rooms, looking at the slightly open door wherein Cuddy stood and watched what was happening in front of her just like he and the Cuddy of the spirits did. His other self sat on a chair, back towards the door, and listened to the heartbeat of an eight years old vivid boy in front of him on the bench. He ignored the mother, who stood next to them, and chatted with the boy.

"You´re just as cranky as Squidward Tentacles." the little boy just said.

"Tim!" the mother rebuked. House ignored her still and chuckled.

"But I´m playing piano. And that much better than this octopus is playing his clarinet, although I only own two arms..." he replied and winked at him. "Besides I picture myself more like Bugs Bunny!- Always fleeing before the evil hunter. Of course I´m much smarter than him..." Then he turned around to face Cuddy, who still stood in the door without saying a word. "What´s up, Doc?"

She smiled.

The boy bent forward to House. "Is this the hunter?" he asked in a whisper. "But that´s a woman!"

"The hunter in disguise." seriously he looked the boy in the eyes. "That pretty face is only a trick to exploit poor helpless cute rabbits- like me- shamelessly..."

Cuddy snorted. "House. If you´re ready here, I´ll need you in exam-room three."

"See?" he gestured at Cuddy in triumph. "There she goes... In a jiffy she will force me to come to her apartment this evening to clean it up. But I tell you something: I will go and then force her to have some fun. That will be be a lesson to her!"

The boy giggled.

"Room three, House." Cuddy reminded him sternly then lifted a brow and watched him from his head to his toes. "My apartment at eight. Don´t forget your broom." With those words she went out the door.

* * *

House blinked irritated. He stood in his living-room by piano again next to the Cuddy of the spirits.

"Do you get it now?" she asked him impatiently.

"That I´m a fantastic Bugs-Bunny-imitator? Please, already knew that before..." he replied unnerved.

Frustrated Cuddy rubbed her fore-head. "And he´s calling himself a genius..." she muttered quietly, grabbed his shirt with both hands and pulled his face down to hers.

"Then start thinking!" she hissed and pushed him backwards forcefully.

House tumbled and fell. And he fell... and fell... and...

Frightened he opened is eyes. He still laid on his bed. It was short before three o´clock in the morning and Cuddy still laid next to him sleeping.

"All the spirits are nuts!" he cursed.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave me a note... Cause reviews always makes me happy- and hurry up with my next chapter... LOL


	4. The third of the three spirits

Finally was able to finish the translation for this chapter!- Sorry it took me so long, but I´m quite busy. Will have pre-diplom (my first big exam at the university!) in two weeks... Hope you like it, but I´m afraid to tell you that I might need as much time for transating the last chapter for the same reasons... But I promise to do my best to update as soon as I can.

* * *

**Stave 4: The third of the three spirits**

14.02.08; 03 o´clock in the morning.

Overtired House stood in front of his toilet and peed, as he suddenly felt something wet touching his foot.

"Damn!" cursing he pulled his foot back and tried the same time to still hit the can while peeing, as he realized that he wasn´t alone any longer.

"Damn." he repeated, as he looked at the... thing next to him. His urge to urinate died. "Damn!"

Next to him stood a in dark damp haze covered person, or something like that, and it was a bit smaller than he was. He couldn´t make out any details through the thick grey windrow, whereof one touched his foot.

"What?" House asked cranky and hurried to close his fly. "Here is not the cast for the dark knights from 'Lord of the rings'..."

The ghost didn´t react. After House had closed his fly, he took his cane, shoved the ghost aside with it and limped past him into his living-room. The ghost followed him so closely that his damp windrows always were in contact with House´s legs. House felt, how the cool dampness soaked his jeans slowly. In the living-room he turned around to face the spirit. They stood close in front of one another. To close for House´s liking. He took two steps back. This time, the ghost stayed in place.

"What do you want, Sauron°?" House asked dryly.

The fog-thing tilted that, what could be his head, and reached his right hand out for House. The same time a head appeared out of the fog, where a hand should have been. The head hadn´t a constant form, rather it changed his appearance constantly. One time House thought to recognize Wilson then it looked more like Stacy or Cuddy.

"I am the spirit of the future love." the head said soundless. "We need to go."

"Sure!" House answered sarcastically. He really wasn´t desperate to see what this ghost could show him. He was familiar with the Christmas Carol as much as every other person. A man didn´t need to be a genius to figure out how his future love would look like... Small, always lightening his burdens and easy to swallow dry... Vicodin. In a short while from now, Cuddy would realize what a creep he was and leave him completely for that snort-nosed pissant. "Just let catch my scythe..." he suggested. "...then we destroy the human rac-"

The head bit his shoulder. Before his eyes everything got blurry.

As his vision cleared, he found himself behind the scenes of a small theatre. He assumed it was a children-theatre. All around him were small kids running around and were silenced by their mothers, fathers and teachers. Also the stage-setting looked suitable for children. Big colorful flowers with heart-shaped leaves... Slowly it got quiet around him. The curtain was still closed, but now House was able to hear the voices of the adults behind it.

Damp haze wandered upon his left hand. Slightly disgusted he rubbed his hand over his jeans to dry it and turned around. The fogged spirit gestured at a woman with long brown curls, who knelt in front of two cute brown haired twins with big blue eyes, which seemed familiar to him, and she twitched at their purple flower-suits. House knew immediately who he as gazing at. He would recognize Cuddy everywhere... Her hair, her body, her way of moving... And even if he hadn´t... It was obvious that the two kids were her daughters... they looked like her. Just much younger. Cuddy´s daughters. His leg pulsed from pain. Hopefully his future-self was dead already... Died on an over-dose of Vicodin. Then he wouldn´t have to watch Cuddy starting a family with some dense bastard...

"I have seen enough." he said emotionless.

The ghost gestured at Cuddy and the girls again.

"Where is daddy?" one of girls just asked.

With subtle fingers Cuddy adjusted her collar. "Daddy is still working, Erin."

The girl nodded but her sister frowned. "Can we give him a call and tell him, it isn´t Lupus, mom?"

"Please mom!" Erin begged her as well. "It is never Lupus!"

Lupus? Why is a boring snooty-nosed little pissant interested in Lupus? House was confused.

Cuddy giggled. "No, girls. That won´t be needed... Daddy will arrive here at every minute. He would never miss your show!" she reassured her daughters and raised herself up.

Great. Fantastic! Soon so called Superdaddy, the Bill-Cospy-for-Caucasians, would arrive here. And he would be able to see him in person. Wasn´t he the lucky one? House growled.

Cuddy went towards him, but suddenly a familiar looking arm reached out of a small gap between two painted movable walls, grabbed her and pulled her in. She was now out of the sight of her girls, but House still had a good look at her. And also at the man who had grabbed her...

"What the hell are you doing here, House?" annoyed and slightly shocked, Cuddy punched his other selfs chest. The elder House stood near in front of her, his hair a bit lighter than it was yet but expect for that still looking the same.

"Ouch!" the other House glared at Cuddy. "Is this the right way to greet a poor, hard-working cripple?"

"What are you doing here, House?" Still angry, Cuddy glared at him.

If you think, it couldn´t get any worse...

Grumpy, House watched his other self being scolded from Cuddy. He foreboded what would happen next. His elder self would annoy Cuddy til her husband would arrive and kick his butt... He wished, his first suggestion had been true...

"I want to go." he demanded from the spirit and tried to digress from the scene, but not a single muscle moved. The fogged ghost took his arm and his coldness crept through House´s body. As much as House tried, he wasn´t able to move the slightest. He had no other choice than to listen further...

"Oh... I came here by accident..." the other House just mocked.

"You should better greet the girls instead of pulling me into gabs." Cuddy hissed.

Greet the girls? Cuddy allowed him to talk to her children?

The other House placed his hands on Cuddy´s hips and pulled her a bit closer. "But then I wouldn´t be able to do this..." he bent forward and kissed Cuddy right on the lips.

Oh. My. God.

"Cuddy is betraying the geek-dad with me!" House didn´t trust his eyes. "Ouch!" Suddenly pain shot through his left arm, as if the ghost had hit him... But he stood still motionless by his side. Then the spirit raised his right arm and again a head appeared out of the fog.

"Think!" the misty face of Wilson demanded this time.

Around them the time stood still. Everyone froze in motion. A woman paused in brushing the hair of her daughter, a boy hovered in the air, a leg still stretched from his jump, and Cuddy and the other House remained in the middle of their kiss.

"Think!" the ghost-head repeated forcefully.

House frowned. A bit perplex he starred at Cuddy and his other self. Once again he underwent the events of this night in his mind. Wilson´s strange performance, Cuddy, bleeding in his kitchen. Stacy, walking through the wall and the fight, they had afterwards. The strange expression in her eyes before he woke up. Cuddy, peacefully asleep in his bed. Cuddy, walking with her head up high out of the exam-room after she ordered him to visit her. Cuddy...

"She had a date with me." he uttered quietly. At the same day, Cuddy had came into the exam-room and he had joked bout Bugs Bunny, he had visited the jazz-club with her... Short before eight he had opened her door with the key she always hided beneath her mat, to sneak into her bedroom as quitly as his bum leg allowed him...

"She had a date with me, this evening." he repeated, this time a bit louder. "There is no other guy. She talked about me while she was speaking to her mother."

Other images popped up in his mind: Cuddy, fighting with him. Cuddy laughing bout something he said. Cuddy, touching his hand or his chest, or his face. Cuddy with flushed face and wide open eyes, while he was within her. Cuddy, smiling in his arms afterwards.

"Cuddy loves me?" his voice sounded distrusting.

The time resumed again. Cuddy let go of his elder self and leaned backwards in his arms to look him in the eyes.

"You could´ve kissed me after greeting the girls as well." Cuddy smiled.

"Maybe I will still do so..." he smirked. "But I wanted to kiss you just for once without the spawns of the hell observing us..."

"Spawns of the hell, ugh?" she grinned. "And that took you by surprise? At least you´re their father."

"You´re right..." House tried to look serious. "What could I expect... after all I mated with the devil."

"Hey!" Cuddy punched him again.

He only chuckled and kissed her once more...

"Enough!" forcefully Cuddy pushed him away. "Anna and Erin will start their performance any time! Go, tell them, you´re here, wish them luck and then meet me outside..."

"Why should I do, what you tell me? I already must obey you at work!"

Cuddy tiptoed and nibbled on his lower-lip with her teeth briefly. "Cause I own your soul!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" he saluted.

Not able to believe what he saw, House watched Cuddy go away while is elder self made his way to the twins. His twins. His daughters...

"They´re named Anna, after my grandmother and Erin, after Erin Brockovich, because you always liked her way of using her breasts." someone next to him said.

He turned around. Next to him stood Cuddy, bare feet and wearing one of his red shirts. The fogged spirit was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning he looked at her. "What´s this all about?" he asked suspiciously.

Startled Cuddy gazed at him. "What is what all about?"

´"This whole rainbow and butterflies bullshit here!" he gestured with his free hand at the surroundings wildly. "Shouldn´t you show me, how miserable and lonely I will die if I don´t change my life immediately, or something like that?"

"For what should that be good?" Cuddy´s face got soft. "None of it would´ve shock you or even surprise you..." now she smiled. "Besides this wasn´t about your feelings. It was about to make you realize what I feel for you, Greg. I love you." her smile widened and she touched his cheek gently.

"THAT shocked you, right?"

House was wordless. He gazed at the floor. Gently she touched his chin, so he looked at her again.

"You´re a smart, sensitive, stubborn, wonderful man and you always succeed in making me feel beautiful, sexy and strong." she told him calmly. "Is it so hard for you to believe, that I love you, Greg?" her voice got quieter and quieter. "House... House?"

Everything got fuzzy. He blinked.

He laid in his bed again, the sun was shining through the closed curtains slightly and painted the whole room in a warm orange.

"House?" Cuddy stood next to his bed and shook his arm. She looked pissed. "Stay up! I can´t find the damn coffee and you don´t have anything for breakfast... What do you guess, how long milk is nonperishable? Two years?"

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Note

° Sauron is the bad guy out of 'lord of the rings'

Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review, cause it will give me strength I need to survive my damn exam (kinda life-saving... will bring you good carma LOL). Uhm, and I´m still without beta...


	5. The End

Hi there!

Yesterday was a good day for me (finally printed my book-project and it looks SO great!- I´m so happy xD ) So I decided to update this chapter earlier, to share my happiness. LOL. Uhm... still without beta here... hope I didn´t miss many mistakes... Anyway, I hope you´ll enjoy.

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**Stave 5: The End**

14.02.08; 10 o´clock in the morning

Sleepily he blinked again and then crocked himself up on his elbows.

"House." impatiently Cuddy twitched at his arm. "Coffee now, or you´re fired."

Grumpy House swung his legs out of the bed, whereby he hit Cuddy with his left feet at her thigh.

"Ouch!" Cuddy rubbed the aching spot and glared at him.

"Don´t be so whiney." he growled. "At least you hadn´t been woken up from a crazy coffee-junkie..."

"That wouldn´t be needed, if you wouldn´t keep house like a four-year old."

She took his Vicodin from his nightstand, threw it against his chest, turned around and left his bedroom, holding her head up high. A few minutes later House could hear his shower... He swallowed two pills dry before he stood up and got dressed. Then he limped to the kitchen to make coffee. Cuddy was such a beast before her first hit of caffein. He didn´t even want to imagine what she would be like when she would need to forgo it during her pregnancy- House froze in movement.

Instead of walking into the kitchen he made his way directly to his bathroom. Good thing, that Cuddy hadn´t locked up... To pry open the door now would´ve been to much afford... Arriving in his bathroom, he hit the flush. Cuddy squeaked, then shoved the shower curtain aside to stick her head out.

"Are you totally nuts now?" she snarled.

Relaxed he settled down on the toilet lid. "Quite possible." he replied calmly.

"When it´s nothing more, it can wait till I got some coffee." Cuddy vanished behind the curtain again.

"I think, we should move in together." House uttered.

"What?" at cyberspeed Cuddys head appeared again. "Are you drugged?"

"Not more than usual."

Suspicious she gazed at him. Then she grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her body and stepped out of the shower.

"You... want... to... move in with me." with damp curls and drippy she stood in the middle of his bath, starring at him as if she had just seen him for the first time.

He avoided her gaze.. "I could keep my apartment and move in with you on trial..." he would bet his good leg, that she would tell him once more how crazy he was and then flee out of his apartment... And as soon as she was gone, he would turn to his real future love Vicodin and would pop two more, and afterwards he would drive to the hospital make a CT... That fucking cup must´ve hit his head. It just must! He deliberated bout starting a fucking family. About a pregnant Cuddy, damn.

But Cuddy wasted not even a single thought on leaving him now.

"You´re serious!" she declared startled.

Annoyed he looked at her. "Would I mention this otherwise?"

"No..." Cuddy shook her head and then asked: "Why?"

"What, why?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you wanna move in with me? A justifiable question, don´t you think?"

"You don´t like my apartment!"-Wow! Stupid remark, _that_ will take things further! He hadn´t intend to say that... He didn´t like the way this conversation went... Why must Cuddy always inquire? Couldn´t she just say 'No' like every other sane non-hallucination?

"That´s your reason?" with crossed arms she stood in front of him. "Should that be some kind of good deed, or something?"

"Just forget it!" he wanted to arise and leave, but she grabbed his arm and hold him off.

"No way! Tell me why!" she demanded.

He starred at the tiles. "Cuddy... What do you wanna hear..."

"Oh, I don´t know..." her voice was drowned in sarcasm. "The truth?"

He didn´t answer.

"House..." she knelt in front of him as mannerly as she was able too with only a towel to wear. "You must have better reasons than that I don´t like your apartment..." her voice was now warm and soft.

"Why did you not just say 'No'? Why are you still here?" he uttered so quietly, she barely hear him.

She touched his hands, which were clenched to fists into his lap, with her´s gently. "You know why..."

First yet he looked at her again. "Why you are wasting your time with some old miserable cranky cripple? No, I completely fail to see _that_!"

"You can be so dense!" distrusting she waved her head. "Of course I wanna move in with you! I just want to know, if you´re serious..."

"Cuddy... I´m not the kind of person, who... You know, I can´t... I... love you." he stuttered.

Cuddy smiled. Her face got soft and peaceful. Just like she looked when she was asleep... So pleased. "I love you too."

His heart skipped a beat. His cramped fingers relaxed and entwined with Cuddy´s fragile one´s. "Today is valentine´s day, noticed that?"

She nodded slightly, bent forward and kissed him. "Yes, I noticed."

"What do you think of me joining you under the shower so I can rub your back?" he smirked.

Cuddy shook her head, smirking as well. "You must still make coffee, remember?"

"You´re such a petty tyrant!" House grumbled.

Cuddy laughed. "I totally agree!" she raised herself up from the floor. "But if you´re a good boy and do as been told, I may rub _your_ back after breakfast!"

He raised up too. "Guess, what I could do instead?" he pulled her towel away, let it drop and pressed her wet naked body against his own. "I could just take, what I want!" lovingly he nibbled at her throat. Cuddy laughed.

THE END

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Wheow, finally finished! Please, please, _please (yes, a little desperate here_ xD) let me know what you think bout it (feedback makes me live and keeps me sane!)


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